Curtis, Rolland J

Description

Rolland Joseph "Speedy" Curtis was born in Louisiana in 1922. After serving three years in the Marines during World War II, he and his wife, Gloria, relocated from New Orleans to Los Angeles in 1946. Curtis served four years with the Los Angeles Police Department, but resigned from the force in order to pursue both a Bachelor's and Master's degree from USC. He later became involved in city politics, as an associate of Sam Yorty, and later a field deputy to City Council members Billy Mills and Tom Bradley. He was briefly director of the Model Cities program in 1973. Rolland J. Curtis died in his home in 1979, the victim of a homicide. An affordable housing complex on Exposition Blvd. near Vermont Ave. was named in his honor in 1981, along with a nearby street and park.Pictured is Mrs. Marguerite P. Justice (center), with several members of the Sea Explorers, Los Angeles Regatta 67 (now called the Sea Scouts). The photograph was taken during the Exposition Community Coordinating Council June dinner-meeting where Mrs. Justice was re-elected to a third term as president. See images 0018761, 00118762; 00119146, 00119147; 00137942 through 00137947, 00137949 through 00137951, and 00137953 through 00137954 for additional photos in this series.

Record Contributed By

Los Angeles Public Library

Record Harvested From

California Digital Library